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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · land · mouse · stick · chest · ground · degree · safe

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. land — to come down
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ground — a position
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ground — the earth
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chest — a box
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. land — ground
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com